--- title: Vim canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/vim/ category: Code Editors points: 68 rank: 6 of 12 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # Vim Free modal text editor with a built-in terminal, a gdb debugger plugin and thousands of community scripts. 68 points out of 100. #6 of 12 code editors. Vendor: Vim project. Website: https://www.vim.org/ - Vim costs nothing: the licence allows using an unmodified copy with no restrictions [3][7]. - Windows builds come as an installer or a zip archive, in 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM64 [1]. - Vim 9.2 was released on 14 February 2026, and tagged releases continued into October 2026 [10][11]. - A terminal window and a gdb debugging plugin ship with Vim, and netrw edits files over scp [4][5]. - The scripts directory on vim.org lists 6,017 scripts [9]. Verdict: Vim suits people who want a free, keyboard-driven editor with official Windows and Linux builds [1][14]. It ships a terminal window, a gdb debugging plugin and remote editing over scp [4][5]. The catch: the manual describes an LSP message mode but no ready-made language server client [6]. The terminal and key mapping manuals show no git commit interface or multiple cursors [4][8]. Best for: People who work from the keyboard and want a free editor with community scripts. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Systems | Systems besides Windows | Linux | 3/9 | Download page links a Linux AppImage from the vim GitHub organisation [1][14]. For macOS it points to MacVim and Homebrew, which are third-party. No web version. | | Systems | Portable Windows build | Yes | 5/5 | Download page offers 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM64 zip packages beside the installer; the page does not use the word portable [1]. | | Systems | Remote editing | Yes | 8/8 | Built-in netrw plugin edits files on another machine, for example vim scp://hostname/path, using scp. Containers and WSL not documented [5]. | | Code tools | Language Server Protocol | Not published | 0/10 | Channel docs describe an LSP message mode, but no LSP client for completion or error checks is documented [6]. | | Code tools | Debugger | Yes | 9/9 | The termdebug plugin debugs programs with gdb, with Break, Step, Over and Continue commands. Not marked experimental [4]. | | Code tools | Built-in terminal | Yes | 6/6 | :terminal runs a terminal emulator in a Vim window; Windows is supported through ConPTY [4]. | | Code tools | Git in the editor | Not published | 0/6 | Not published in the terminal manual [4]. | | Code tools | Multiple cursors | Not published | 0/3 | Not published in the key mapping manual [8]. | | Code tools | Live collaboration | Not published | 0/3 | Not published on the vendor's home or download pages [1][2]. | | Extending | Extension directory | Yes | 8/8 | vim.org runs a scripts directory of 6,017 scripts; the user manual explains how to write a plugin in Vim script [9][13]. | | Extending | Custom key bindings | Yes | 3/3 | The manual documents :map commands that change what typed keys do, and refers to putting mapping lines in your vimrc [8]. | | Licence and price | Free for work use | Yes | 6/6 | The README says there are no restrictions on using an unmodified copy of Vim [3]. | | Licence and price | Price | $0 | 6/6 | Vim is free; the licence only encourages donations [7]. | | Licence and price | Open source | Yes | 6/6 | Source is public on GitHub; the licence is GPL compatible and allows modified versions. The licence text does not use the term open source [3][7]. | | Upkeep | Release in the past year | Yes | 8/8 | Vim 9.2 was announced 14 February 2026; GitHub tags show version 9.2.1172 on 7 October 2026 [10][11]. | | Upkeep | Telemetry off or none | Not published | 0/4 | Not published in the Vim manual or on the home page [2][4]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Vim | Free [7] | $0 | ## Strengths - The licence has no restrictions on using an unmodified copy, and it is GPL compatible [3][7]. - Windows zip archives are published for 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM64 [1][12]. - The :terminal command runs a terminal in a Vim window and works on Windows through ConPTY [4]. - The bundled termdebug plugin debugs programs with gdb, with breakpoint and stepping commands [4]. - The manual documents :map commands that change what typed keys do [8]. ## Limits - The manual documents an LSP message mode for channels, but describes no ready-made language server client [6]. - The terminal manual documents no git interface for commits [4]. - The licence is Vim's own charityware text, and it does not call itself open source [7]. - The project lists no official web version [1]. - The download page offers no official macOS build; it points to MacVim and Homebrew, which are third-party [1]. ## Sources 1. [Download Vim](https://www.vim.org/download.php), Vim project, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [Vim online](https://www.vim.org/), Vim project, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [vim/vim README](https://github.com/vim/vim), GitHub, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [Vim help: terminal.txt](https://vimhelp.org/terminal.txt.html), Vim project, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [Vim help: pi_netrw.txt](https://vimhelp.org/pi_netrw.txt.html), Vim project, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [Vim help: channel.txt](https://vimhelp.org/channel.txt.html), Vim project, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [Vim help: uganda.txt (licence)](https://vimhelp.org/uganda.txt.html), Vim project, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [Vim help: map.txt](https://vimhelp.org/map.txt.html), Vim project, accessed 2026-10-08 9. [Vim scripts](https://www.vim.org/scripts/index.php), Vim project, accessed 2026-10-08 10. [Tags, vim/vim](https://github.com/vim/vim/tags), GitHub, accessed 2026-10-08 11. [Vim 9.2 released](https://www.vim.org/vim-9.2-released.php), Vim project, accessed 2026-10-08 12. [Releases, vim-win32-installer](https://github.com/vim/vim-win32-installer/releases), GitHub, accessed 2026-10-08 13. [Vim help: usr_51.txt (create a plugin)](https://vimhelp.org/usr_51.txt.html), Vim project, accessed 2026-10-08 14. [vim/vim-appimage](https://github.com/vim/vim-appimage), Vim project, accessed 2026-10-08